Jewellery mastermind Giampiero Bodino in must-watch video

Maria talks to Giampiero Bodino, the creative force behind many of Richemont’s brands, now crafting superlative, customised jewellery under his own name.

Transcript

| 01 sep 2014

Giampiero Bodino: With jewellery, I think it's an element that, it's a subject that seduced me very much, because it's very close to the person, it's very close to women, it's a world of magic, it's a world of desire, desirability, dreams. It means a lot of things altogether.

Maria Doulton: I'm here in Milan to discover something of a secret and I'm about to enter the world of Giampiero Bodino's, where I'm going to discover some amazing high jewellery.

Now, you may not have heard of his name before, but he is, in fact one of the most influential creators in the world of luxury today, and what he does with this jewellery is to make it so special that the only place you can see it is here, in the Villa Mozart and meet Giampiero Bodino himself.

Giampiero Bodino: You don't buy just an object, you buy an emotion, you buy a moment and the moment of the buy, or the moment when you buy something, for me it's important and should be treated in the same way that we treat our jewellery. We are very lucky because we found this amazing place, which is discreet, it's beautiful, it allowed myself to show my pieces to clients in the best way and in the way that I really believe is the right way.

In jewellery, there are two kinds of dreams that you can play with, one, it's from the material, so you can dream to have a very special stone or a specific colour for that stone. It can be an idea of ancient, medieval jewels or using stones that you can fix and put together. Or, it can be a decoration from a façade of a building that you would like to transform in a jewel, in order to send a new message.

I have a very personal view on design, I think to be specialised in design, doesn't make sense for me. You are a designer, you design. You can design a vase, you can design a table, a piece of furniture, but you can really use this type of knowledge that you have, in other fields, in something different.

Maria Doulton: One of the first things I saw is that he actually sketches each jewel himself, but his illustrations are so beautiful that they are, in their own right, works of art. Then, you see the finished product and that's when you get the real gasp factor.

These are all masterpieces of Capo d'Opera, which are all one of a kind. What I like about this is how the movement from the different rows of pearls, mixed with the rubellites and these incredibly refined cameo carvings all come alive in a necklace that is both classical yet very contemporary.

Giampiero Bodino: So, the cameo is the perfect idea to put together the portrait and the jewel. What I don't want, at all, is to destroy - is not the proper word - it's smontare, dismount all the pieces. I don't like to touch work that has been made, maybe 200 years ago. I'm just working with the cameos that are old and unmounted.

Maria Doulton: Although it seems quite new, this idea of having a whole maison in which to come and discover the jewellery and, personally, to know who is behind the creations, it is, in fact, the old-fashioned way to buy jewellery, because that's how it used to work before, your jeweller knew you, you commissioned pieces, he knew what would suit you. I think this is more of a renaissance than a revolution.

This is a beautiful coming together of historical references, incredible craftsmanship, but also a very modern way to wear jewellery.

Giampiero Bodino: I think, honestly, in Italy, it's an element of exploration, which is absolutely strong in my work. Since I have, from recording views of cities that I've visited in the past, when I was young, with my family and that remained like a picture in mind and I can't live without it.

Maria Doulton: If you want to know all that's happening in the world of jewellery and watches, visit my website thejewelleryeditor.com.

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